Indiana Fever guards Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham have become the newest WNBA players to join Project B, a women’s basketball startup league set to launch in Europe, Asia, and Latin America in 2026. The league recently announced that Mitchell and Cunningham will be part of a growing lineup that already features stars like Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, all of whom will hold ownership stakes in the league. Mitchell expressed enthusiasm about Project B, calling it the future evolution of women’s basketball and emphasizing their pride in being part of this global initiative built around the future of gaming.
Cunningham shared similar excitement, highlighting the significance of this new chapter in women’s basketball. Despite her past critiques of the WNBA, she praised Project B’s ambition to expand the sport worldwide. She noted the rapidly increasing popularity of women’s basketball and her dedication to supporting its growth both nationally and internationally.
Mitchell and Cunningham are the eighth and ninth players to be announced for the league, which was founded by ex-Facebook executive Grady Barnett and Skype co-founder Jeff Prentiss. Alongside them and other WNBA-affiliated players like Jonquel Jones, Jewell Lloyd, Camila Cardoso, Lee Meng, and Janel Saraun, Project B aims to build a competitive and innovative platform.
Scheduled to run from November 2026 to April 2027, Project B will feature six teams with 11 players each. The league plans to operate on mobile circuits, similar to sports like tennis and golf. Notably, Project B has committed to offering player salaries starting at $2 million annually—a significant move amid ongoing collective bargaining discussions about player pay in the WNBA.
Fan Take: This development marks an exciting shift for WNBA fans, signaling greater global opportunities and financial growth for women’s basketball players. Project B’s embrace of new formats and substantial salaries could push the sport toward a more sustainable and internationally recognized future.
